North Hampshire District Group

by Nevil Wilson

Committee

Three of our Committee members decided not to stand for re-election at our last AGM, having given long and hardworking service, for which we thank them. Also, our Chairman, Julian Pilcher, resigned from office although he has stayed on the Committee. Julian was Chairman for seven years and gave us tremendous leadership over that period. We are most grateful to him. So far, we have not found a replacement Chairman. Sadly, we lost another Committee member through the death of Sheila Allen, a long-standing member and devoted friend.

We are now rather shortstaffed on the Committee, although we have recruited one new member, and necessarily this has led to a lower-key activity level.

Planning

We have continued to monitor all planning applications throughout the year, liaising with parish councils over them and submitting objections in a limited number of cases of obvious over-development. The Panel's Report on the South East Plan called for a 10% increase in the number of houses over the Plan period and, of these, nearly half, namely 1,400, have been allocated to Basingstoke District. The Borough Council is working on the Local Development Framework and we shall be heavily involved in 2008 in commenting on their drafts. As yet, they have not named their preferred sites for housing.

Events and Fund Raising

We organised a coach trip last summer to Forde Abbey in Somerset. In November we held a most successful Supper at St. Mary Bourne with Charles Flower speaking on Wild Flowers, which raised £1,569.

Membership

This has remained steady over the year 2007. We have made great efforts to gain new members to offset the steady drain from those who do not renew for one reason or another. We had a stand at Hackwood Point to Point on Easter Monday, to raise CPRE's profile locally and to recruit new members.

Finances

Our Accounts for the year 2007 showed a profit of £1,623 and we sent £1,600 to County Branch which was more than the quota allocated to us.

Annual General Meeting

This will be held on Wednesday 14th May at 7.30 pm at the Malshanger Club by kind invitation of our President, Sir Michael Colman.

This page updated 9th April 2008
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